​​​​​AUSTIN – Three Austinites and their company, Icon, are behind what they claim is the first on-site, 3D-printed home produced in the U.S.—in a process they say could build homes at a much lower cost and a fraction of the time it typically takes.

The startup printed a prototype in the backyard of a home on Chicon St. in about 47 hours, for a total cost of $40,000 to build, including the cost of the foundation, roof and other inputs cost.

By building houses faster and more efficiently, Icon’s founders said that 3D-printing technology could be a godsend for communities in need of more affordable housing.

But even if 3D printing can cut the cost of building materials, labor and time, it can’t immediately curtail escalating land values or make cities more amenable to smaller, denser dwellings.

Right now, Icon claims it can print homes 30 percent cheaper than the average cost to build a home nationally.

The startup’s goal is to build houses that would cost $75 to $125 per sf to purchase in order to dip into prices more attainable for low- and middle-income buyers.